The Carolina Panthers traded wide receiver Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings back in August and we can now officially say the Panthers have won that trade in a landslide.
It has been clear for quite some time now that was the case, as Thielen is in the midst of the worst season of his career with eight catches for 69 scoreless yards.
But we got final confirmation the Panthers fleeced the Vikings on Monday, when Minnesota announced it is waiving Thielen, who will now to go waivers.
Here's why the Vikings waived the veteran wide receiver.
Why Vikings waived Adam Thielen
Because of his minimal role in the offense, Thielen approached the team about being waived and Minnesota has granted that request, per the team in a statement released Monday.
"Last week Adam's representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season," the Vikings said.
"Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere.
"Adam is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success," the Vikings concluded.
Panthers-Vikings Adam Thielen trade details
Here's the full details of the trade:
- Panthers received: 2026 5th-round pick, 2027 4th-round pick
- Vikings received: conditional 2026 7th-round pick, 2027 5th-round pick
So, the Panthers flipped their seventh-round pick in next year's draft into a fifth-rounder and turned a 2027 fifth-round pick into a fourth-rounder.
All that for a guy who played 185 snaps over 11 games and caught just eight balls for the Vikings.
Rare Panthers "W" right there.
Carolina could do something absolutely hilarious and claim Thielen off waivers, which would really make this trade look even worse for Minnesota.
Granted, the Panthers certainly don't need Thielen and he likely wouldn't have a role much bigger than the one he had with the Vikings, but having the extra depth would not hurt Carolina's playoff push one bit.
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